Workout Description
For Time
75 Kettlebell Burpee Swings (24/16 kg)
Every minute on the minute, perform:
5 Kettlebell Thrusters (24/16 kg)
Why This Workout Is Hard
The combination of 75 burpee swings with an EMOM thruster component creates significant cardiovascular fatigue while also taxing the shoulders and posterior chain continuously. The EMOM thrusters force a specific pace and prevent full recovery, while the burpee swings must be completed simultaneously. This dual-task format with moderate loads and no built-in rest makes this challenging for the average CrossFitter.
Benchmark Times for Powerbomb
- Elite: <6:00
- Advanced: 7:00-8:00
- Intermediate: 9:00-10:00
- Beginner: >18:00
Training Focus
This workout develops the following fitness attributes:
- Stamina (9/10): High volume of compound movements with kettlebells taxes muscular endurance severely, especially in shoulders, core, and posterior chain.
- Endurance (8/10): The combination of burpee swings and EMOM thrusters creates sustained cardiovascular demand, requiring significant aerobic capacity to maintain output over time.
- Power (7/10): Both movements require explosive hip drive and power production, especially the swing portion and thruster drive.
- Flexibility (6/10): Burpee swings demand good hip mobility and overhead position, while thrusters require ankle, hip, and shoulder mobility.
- Speed (5/10): EMOM format forces quick transitions and consistent pacing, while burpee swings require steady rhythm.
- Strength (4/10): Moderate kettlebell loads require strength endurance rather than maximal strength, though the volume makes it challenging.
Scaling Options
Reduce kettlebell weight to 20/12kg or 16/8kg. Step-back burpees instead of jumping. Break burpee swing into separate movements (burpee, then swing) if needed. Reduce total volume to 50 burpee swings. For EMOM, reduce to 3-4 thrusters or extend interval to every 90 seconds. Can also substitute regular kettlebell swings for burpee swings while maintaining EMOM thrusters.
Scaling Explanation
Scale if unable to maintain full hip extension on swings after 10 reps, or if thruster technique deteriorates within first 5 minutes. Priority is maintaining power in hip drive and overhead position - reduce weight before compromising range of motion. Target completion time is 12-20 minutes with consistent work rate throughout. Athletes should be able to perform 10+ unbroken kettlebell swings and 5+ thrusters at prescribed weight before attempting Rx version.
Intended Stimulus
Moderate-to-long glycolytic workout (12-20 minutes) with oxidative system contribution. Primary challenge is maintaining power output on burpee swings while managing fatigue from the EMOM thrusters. Tests both local muscular endurance and cardiovascular capacity. The EMOM format creates predictable work-rest intervals but compounds fatigue.
Coach Insight
Break burpee swings into sets of 10-15 early to preserve position. The EMOM thrusters will feel manageable at first but become challenging - leave 15-20 seconds rest each minute. Keep burpee stance narrow to minimize transition time to swing. Common faults: rushing burpee position, losing kettlebell control overhead, sacrificing hip extension. Consider 25/25/25 rep scheme for burpee swings with consistent rest intervals.
Benchmark Notes
This workout combines burpee-style movements with thrusters in an EMOM format. Analysis:
1. Base movement times:
- KB Burpee Swing: ~5-6 sec/rep (combining burpee + swing)
- KB Thruster EMOM: ~2-3 sec/rep x 5 reps = 10-15 sec per minute
2. Using Grace (30 C&J) as primary anchor since it's a similar duration sprint-style workout with a mix of full-body movements. Grace L10 = 90-120s, L5 = 240-300s, L1 = 480-600s.
3. This workout is more demanding than Grace due to:
- Higher total reps (75 vs 30)
- Added complexity of burpee component
- EMOM thrusters creating forced work periods
4. Round breakdown for elite (L10):
- First 25 burpee swings: ~120s
- Middle 25: ~150s (1.25x fatigue)
- Final 25: ~190s (1.6x fatigue)
- EMOM thrusters: adds ~10-15s per minute
5. Total time targets:
Men:
- L10: 360s (6:00)
- L5: 600s (10:00)
- L1: 1080s (18:00)
Women:
- L10: 480s (8:00)
- L5: 720s (12:00)
- L1: 1200s (20:00)
Adjusted ~20% slower for women due to heavier relative loading and increased metabolic demand of the combination movements.
Modality Profile
Kettlebell Burpee Swing combines a burpee (Gymnastics) with a KB swing (Weightlifting). Kettlebell Thruster is a Weightlifting movement. With 2 unique movements split between G and W modalities, this results in a 50/50 split.
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